Glynn Turman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Glynn Turman
Turman in 2007
Born	(1947-01-31) January 31, 1947 (age 78) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1959–present
Known for	Leroy "Preach" Jackson – Cooley High Colonel Bradford Taylor – A Different World Clarence Royce – The Wire
Spouse(s)	Ula M. Walker ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1971)​ Aretha Franklin ​ ​ (m. 1978; div. 1984)​ Jo-Ann Allen ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	4

Glynn Turman (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor. He started acting as a child in 1959 in the Broadway play A Raisin in the Sun. Turman is well-known for his roles in many TV shows and movies. Some of his famous parts include Lew Miles in Peyton Place, Leroy "Preach" Jackson in the movie Cooley High, and Colonel Bradford Taylor in the sitcom A Different World. He also played Mayor Clarence Royce in the drama series The Wire.

Glynn Turman won an Emmy Award for his role in the HBO show In Treatment. He has also appeared in recent shows like House of Lies, Fargo, and the 2020 Netflix movie Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

Early Life and Education

Glynn Turman was born in New York City. His family history shows he has roots with the Edo people from Nigeria. He went to the High School of Performing Arts in New York City and finished school in 1965. This school helped him learn a lot about acting.

Acting Career

Turman began his acting journey at just 12 years old. His first big role was as Travis Younger in the original Broadway play A Raisin in the Sun. He acted alongside famous stars like Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee. After high school, he continued to act in many theater groups across the United States.

Stage and Directing Work

Glynn Turman performed in plays like Good Boys and The Visit. He also won his first NAACP Image Award for his acting in the play Eyes of the American. Later, he won another NAACP Image Award for directing a play called Deadwood Dick. He has also directed episodes for TV shows such as The Parent 'Hood and A Different World.

Turman on Broadway in A Raisin in the Sun. From left to right: Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, Glynn Turman, Sidney Poitier, and John Fiedler.

Film and Television Roles

Turman started his film career in the 1970s. He appeared in movies like Five on the Black Hand Side and Cooley High. He also acted in TV movies such as Centennial and Minstrel Man, which earned him his third NAACP Image Award.

Throughout his career, Turman has been in many well-known films. These include Gremlins (1984), How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998), Men of Honor (2000), and Sahara (2005). In 2004, he joined the cast of the HBO series The Wire as Mayor Clarence Royce. His performance as the mayor earned him an NAACP Image Award nomination.

After The Wire, Turman continued to appear in many TV shows. He was a guest star in Scrubs and won an Emmy Award for his role in In Treatment in 2008. He also played Jeremiah Kaan in House of Lies and Ernest Bordelon in Queen Sugar.

In 2017, Turman played Nate Lahey Sr. in the ABC drama How to Get Away With Murder. He also appeared in the legal drama Suits in 2018. More recently, in 2021, he was in the ABC series Women of the Movement, playing Mose Wright, who was Emmett Till's great-uncle. In 2023, he made a cameo in the movie 80 for Brady. As of 2023, he is also a recurring character as Chiron in the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Almost Han Solo

Did you know Glynn Turman almost played Han Solo in Star Wars? In an interview, he shared that George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, considered him for the role. However, Lucas decided against it because he worried about how people would react to a white Princess Leia and a Black Han Solo at that time.

Community Work

Beyond acting, Glynn Turman cares about helping young people. He started Camp Gid D Up. This camp teaches horse riding skills and important life values to young people from cities in southern California. For almost 40 years, he has also been a co-grand marshal for the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, which celebrates Black cowboys.

Filmography

Here are some of the movies Glynn Turman has been in:

Television Roles

Here are some of the TV shows Glynn Turman has appeared in:

Awards and Nominations

Glynn Turman has won several awards for his acting. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: Glynn Turman para niños